The subject invention is directed to a vehicle door construction and a water deflector for use therein.
The general type of vehicle door construction with which this invention is concerned is shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,627, issued May 13, 1986, for "Deflector for Vehicle Body Components." As shown therein, the doors typically include a first outer sheet metal panel which defines the door's exterior. A spaced inner sheet metal door panel reinforces the outer panel and defines the chamber which houses various mechanisms including window operators, latches, and the like. Openings through the inner door panel allow access to the mechanisms. A trim panel covers the inner door panel and provides the decorative interior for the door. Generally, a plastic water deflector sheet is joined to the face of the inner door panel to close the various openings and prevent water that gets within the interior of the door from wetting the interior surface of the trim panel.
The trim panels have been releasably connected to the inner door panel by many different techniques. Recently, some trim panels have been joined by hook members extending from the trim panel to hook over the edges of openings formed through the inner door panel. The hook members must, of course, extend through the plastic water deflector sheet in order to engage the inner door panel. This produces a possible leak path which is undesirable.